Can osteophytes be removed?

Surgery is not usually recommended to remove osteophytes, and operations on the neck are potentially hazardous. Simple painkillers (such as...

Question

I have osteoarthritis, which has resulted in an osteophyte growth in my cervical spine (C5/6), causing the nerves to be pinched.

This causes pain in my neck and down the nerves to both hands.

I also get numbness and pins-and-needles in my hands.

Is this condition treatable by surgery, and if so what are the chances of success or dangers of causing possible further complications?

Are there any other options to prevent eventual nerve damage and perhaps limiting the use of my hands in the future?

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Answer

Osteophytes are little bony protuberances that occur very frequently at the joint margins as osteoarthritis (OA) develops.

The neck is a common site for OA, as are joints in the fingers and big toe.

The pinched nerves that you mention are likely to be due to a loss of space between the vertebrae, such that the nerves are squeezed as they travel out of the spinal cord through little canals in the vertebrae.

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Surgery is not usually recommended to remove osteophytes, and operations on the neck are potentially hazardous. Simple painkillers (such as paracetamol) or anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Ibuprofen) can help considerably.

Losing weight, exercising to improve muscle-tone and avoiding carrying heavy objects would all help too.

Your GP, physiotherapist or chiropractic clinic, as well as the local gymnasium staff, may all be able to help.

You may even be able to have exercise on prescription if your doctor believes that it will help.

Only as a very last resort would surgery be appropriate, when an orthopaedic specialist may consider fusion of some of your neck vertebrae.

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